An anti-gay rally in New York City

It wasn't necessarily the tens of thousands of people promised last week by Reverend Ruben Diaz, Sr., but it was certainly a good show by a large number of mostly Hispanic evangelical parishioners and clergy who gathered in front of Governor David Paterson's midtown Manhattan office building. El Diario La Prensa puts it at 7,000, and that might very well be a good estimate, perhaps surpassing the number of those who rallied outside the Bronx Courthouse five years ago. Then and now the issue was the same issue: Opposition to marriage equality in New York State.

Not all of them were New Yorkers, though. There was representation from churches in surrounding states and people descending from vans and buses rented to bring them to New York.

As Joe.My.God put it, "the evangelicals stayed mostly very positive, I will say, delivering nothing by smiles and heavily-accented 'Jesus loves you' type messages". And they were! One of the most discordant things about these rallies is knowing that each and every one is deeply convinced that they are being loving by denying us rights. Of course, not everyone was that loving; there were a few signs calling us 'an abomination' and a couple of references to Sodom & Gomorrah.

But parishioners who delude themselves into thinking that they love us is one thing, their religious leaders goading them into homophobic sentiment is quite another. And, on those grounds, the day's speakers did not disappoint. Take, for example, Miguel Rivera of our buddies at CONLAMIC who holds a Bible in hand as he riles the crowd in religious fervor as he talks about 'immorality' while saying that Governor Paterson is "physically blind and spiritually blind".

Or take special guest, Rabbi Yehuda Levin basking in the numbers at the rally and wondering why the Jews, Catholics, Muslims, the Chinese and the Asians were not there in the same numbers to fight "deviance and perversions" (part 2 of the video, in which he attacks Senate Majority Leader Malcom Smith and in which he argues that the legislature is turning New York into "Sodom on the Hudson" is here) [SIDE NOTE: I also noticed that when a female reporter extended her hand to Rabbi Levin before interviewing him, he pulled away and told her that his religion prohibited shaking her hand!].


And I wasn't wrong when I predicted involvement from non-Hispanic anti-gay national organizations. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council was beaming as well. He was last seen hurrying to take a cab as one of his assistants said "That went well, didn't it?"


There was also Leslie Yvette Diaz, Reverend Ruben Diaz Sr.' second wife, bringing out the warnings about kids in school being taught immorality. The family that prays together...


And, of course, there was Senator Diaz naming each and every Latino and African-American Assemblymember who voted last week in favor of marriage equality telling the crowd to throw them out of office...


...riling against a 'liberal agenda', saying that he doesn't care if the Democratic Party throws him out as long as God's word is the law and saying that those who call him homophobic are simply trying to silence the church...


...trumpeting his role in derailing marriage equality in the Senate last year...


...and calling for Governor Paterson's resignation...


At similar events in the past, I've sometimes felt like an undercover spy, secretly thrilled of being a sodomite amongst them, energized by the need to uncover them. And there was some of that yesterday. But that also mixed with a huge surge of sorrow. Particularly as I looked at the number of young boys and girls in the crowd, listening to all this hate spew from the featured speakers. I was equally crushed when I listened to Assemblymember Michael Benjamin speak about being willing to deny his own gay brother the rights he enjoys as a recently married man.


There was a group of people who gathered to protest the rally but I was penned in the press area and didn't get to see them. Joe.My.God was amongst them and says that he was dissapointed in the low turnout. I caught up to him at the afternoon's pro-gay rally. My post on that rally will be up later this afternoon.

• YouTube video playlist of anti-gay rally here
• More photos of anti-gay rally here

Related:

• Paging Americans United (Mike Tidmus)

A few updates to recent posts

Michael Sandy's death: On Wednesday, additional charges were brought against three young men arrested in connection with the death of Michael Sandy. Anthony Fortunato, 20, John Fox, 19, and Ilya Shurov, 20 now face manslaughter and assault charges with additional penalties should they also be found guilty of committing a hate crime.

Gay City News reports that hate crime charges are usually brought up when a defendant acts out of prejudice at the moment they are committing an attack but, in this case, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes said he was applying a "little-used" section of New York's hate crimes law that would consider the fact that the men consciously sought out gay men as robbery targets as indication of a hate crime.

Yesterday, the New York Times reported that a 16-year old had also been arraigned but has yet to be indicted.

CONLAMIC watch: On Tuesday, we wrote about The Latino Coalition's endorsement of Hillary Clinton for New York State Senate noting that they had usually marched lock-step with the Bush agenda particularly on social issues such as the right of gay couples to marry. In the post we mentioned that the Coalition had worked with the conservative religious Latino organization CONLAMIC in the past in supporting some of the most draconian immigration legislation proposed under this administration, including a proposal to raise a wall between the United States and Mexico, a bill that President Bush signed yesterday. No surprise then that while it boggled our mind any Latino organization would support the bill, yesterday CONLAMIC joined The Latino Coalition in lauding the initiative. As you know, we've kept an eye on CONLAMIC ever since they organized a rally outside the Bronx Courthouse against the right of gay couples to marry.

As for Hillary Clinton, after years of avoiding meeting with the major LGBT political clubs in the city, a meeting finally happened. Hm, I guess it's election season.

Gray's Anatomy: Fluff stuff but there is an apology.

Steven Mackin (coolukman on LJ): I just spoke to Steven's boyfriend and I have confirmed that Steven is back home in Kentucky surrounded by his family. Things have deteriorated progressively and quickly and the family is doing everything possible to make sure he is as comfortable as he can be. He is no longer checking his cell text or voice messages. Please pray for Steven to be at peace and surrounded by nothing but love. I tried to keep my promise. Farewell my sweet, sweet amazing friend.

Anti-gay Latino organization endorses Hillary Clinton for NY Senate

Here's an interesting tid-bit from today's Los Angeles Times: The DC-based Latino Coalition has endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton in her re-election bid for the New York State Senate. This is news because the group - purportedly a "non-partisan" entity - has pretty much rubber-stamped George W. Bush's agenda since giving him their 2004 endorsement.

For example, back in March they endorsed the building of a wall across the Mexico-U.S. border (or increasing "physical barriers along the border," as they called it); blasted a McCain-Kennedy bill that would have provided a pathway to residency for undocumented workers currently in the United States; and, when immigration reform failed, they promptly blamed Democratic Party for the defeat as well.

Politically they have also endorsed Alberto Gonzalez for Attorney General, Arnold Schwarzeneger for California Governor and conservative judge Miguel Estrada, a Bush appointee to the DC Appellate Court. Some Democrats have also received the Latino Coalition's endorsement in the past but they tend to be centrist Democrats, a couple of exceptions being the other Democratic New York State Senator, Chuck Schumer, and Illinois State Senator Barack Obama, both in 2004.

Earlier this month at the Small Business Economic Summit, which the Coalition organizes in DC every year, they held a discussion on "The Looming Crisis South of the Border: Venezuela and Argentina - The Hemisphere's Troubling New Axis."

At the event they also released the results of a poll on Latino community attitudes towards the political parties. In the intro to the poll results, available online in pdf form, the Coalition explains the "one ray of hope" that remains for Republicans when it comes to Latino voters:

According to the results of the survey, the one ray of hope for Republicans is that Latino voters continue to support a conservative social agenda and a conservative economic policy. By a margin of 61-8% Latino registered voters prefer lowering taxes to grow the economy; by a margin of 48-40% registered voters prefer to be covered by a private health care plan over a government-run program like Medicaid; by a margin of 54-36% Latino voters consider themselves pro-life; 59% said they would be less likely to support a candidate that supports gay marriage and 67% said they would be more likely to support a candidate that support parental notification before a teenage girl can have an abortion.

In the past, the Latino Coalition has joined forces with other anti-gay Latino institutions, such as CONLAMIC, so it's no surprise that they have polled individuals on this issue in order to advance their conservative agenda.

Now, it is known that Hillary Clinton does not support marriage rights for same-sex couples but that alone does not explain the Coalition's endorsement. As a matter of fact, back in August the Coalition blasted Clinton for trying to save millions in funding for some of the urban population worst hit by HIV/AIDS.

The Times article says that the Coalition's endorsement of Clinton is a sign of how the immigration debate has roiled Latino support for Republicans but, considering the Coalition's past support for some of the most restrictive of the recently proposed immigration measures, I'm not so sure that the theory applies. Most probably, it's just one more desperate face-saving attempt by the Coalition now that their fortunes have run afoul of a sinking Republican ship.

As for their Clinton endorsement, EvilPaula over at Daily Kos, pulls up more dirt on The Latino Coalition while noting that neither Clinton nor California Democrat Diane Feinstein list it on their campaign websites.

Who has them listed as endorsers? Those seeking to draw the conservative Latino vote including Republican George Allen in his bid for the Virginia Senate (yes, the Coalition endorsed him despite Allen's widely-reported racist comments during a campaign stop) and "independent" Connecticut Senate candidate Joe Lieberman.

CONLAMIC Watch: ...and it's just about time!

The Rev. Ruben Diaz, Sr. (at podium) shells out for the Bush mandate at a CONLAMIC-led Bronx demo in March of 2004

So we had started to worry a little about poor, sad anti-gay CONLAMIC (a/k/a Coalicion Nacional Latina de Ministros & Lideres Cristianos a/k/a the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders) when their website seemed to disappear earlier this year. Then we felt concerned that, after months of supporting an immigration bill that would allow some immigrants to become residents, they flip-flopped at the last possible minute when the bill needed true support and joined other ultra-conservative Hispanic organizations in supporting an immigration bill that did NOT offer a path to citizenship . Fear not, sell-out Hispanic religious leaders! At least CONLAMIC's website is back!

And yet not all is well. MSNBC.COM has an article today about a promising if still tentative fall-out between Karl Rove-ness and Hispanic religious leaders who sold their souls to the devil in supporting the Bush doctrine. Miguel Martinez, of CONLAMIC, is said to have attended a recent Republican National Committee meeting where he was so despondent that he exclaimed "I pray for the soul of the Republican party."

Too good to be true? I'll still wait and see.

Come back to your true community, CONLAMIC! We're here with open arms!

Previously on "CONLAMIC watch:"

• Adolfo Carrion on Hispanic evangelicals and NYC politics (April 30, 2006)
• On immigration? Still pmping for the extreme right (April 9, 2006)
• Pimping for Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist & John Roberts (Sept. 29, 2005)
• Howard Dean and the DNC miss the mark on CONLAMIC (Sept. 22, 2006)

CONLAMIC Watch: On immigration? Still pimping for the extreme right

Back in September, we launched "CONLAMIC Watch" and pointed out how the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC) was "Pimping for Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist & John Roberts." We had first encountered CONLAMIC back in 2004 when they were pimping for President Bush on the issue of marriage rights for gays at a rally in the Bronx.

In any case, one of the most fascinating things happening about the immigration debate is to see fissures occur between conservative Hispanic organizations who are progressive on immigration reform and conservative Republican leadership who see legalization of undocumented immigrants as a conservative litmus test. Unfortunately, when it comes to CONLAMIC, the split has been with themselves as they have abandonded their supposed religious morals to go against immigrants in this country (and flip flopped against their own stand on the issue in the process!).

On August 10th of 2005, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had already noted a potential divide in an article titled "Illegal Immigration Polarizes Christians" which mentions that, at the time, the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC), was fighting for reform in immigration rights and providing driver's liscences to undocumented immigrants, setting off alarms in conservative evangelical denominations opposed to immigration. Furthermore, in a Spanish language article titled "Latino religious leaders repudiate Cornyn-Kyl immigration proposal" (Noticiacristiana.com - July 26, 2005) which quotes and EFE article, CONLAMIC President Miguel Rivera goes on record calling the restrictive immigration proposal proposed by (Republicans) Cornyn and Kyl as "absurd, anti-immigrant and anti-family," adding that "we consider it a slap in the face against the dignity of Latino workers."

He closed the statement by saying that CONLAMIC stood behind the Kennedy-McCain proposal on immigration "because it offers a solution that benefits the economy, the undocumented community and family reunification" (funny, I can't find an English language account of these comments).

Well, that was then. On Wednesday, CONLAMIC, who have spent the last eight years standing side by side to some of the most conservative political leaders in the nation while expressing almost rapturous adoration for those on the extreme right, turned its back on the Kennedy-McCain bill at the exact moment when they could have had the most influence: On the eve of a now aborted compromise that would have brought immigration status to hundreds of the people they purport to represent.

In a statement released jointly by the right-wing Latino Coalition, the Hispanic Business Roundtable and CONLAMIC the following was said: "While there are very strong elements in the McCain-Kennedy legislation, some of the more lenient provisions on access to citizenship in their bill have fueled the fire of the more radical elements and polarized the current debate" (Bill Frist would have been proud!)

The alternative?: "We urge the Senate to build on the consensus of border security and seek compromise language on the Temporary Worker Program similar to that proposed by Senators Cornyn and Kyl."

By Friday, the Latino Coalition, just as big a pimp as CONLAMIC, was parroting Republican mantra that the Democrats were to blame for the failure of the compromise (hm, what's a non profit agency lobbying for passage of specific bills and against elected representatives?).

One of the difficulties with "CONLAMIC Watch" is that most mainstream media have yet to focus on the ties between these organizations and the Republican party and information is not necessarily readily available unless you browse through some religious websites or Spanish-language media. Still, we try to do what we can do with as little information as is out there.

CONLAMIC, shame on you.

CONLAMIC Watch: Pimping for Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist & John Roberts

I recently wrote about a statement released by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in which Howard Dean lamented an address by Republican National Committee (RCN) Chair Ken Mehlman at a gathering organized in DC by the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC).

Dean, criticizing Mehlman and the Bush government for trumpeting false pro-immigration policies at the CONLAMIC gathering, nevertheless praised the Coalition and said that he wished to set "the record straight" by telling CONLAMIC "the truth" about the Bush administration's record on immigration.

The DNC statement went out on September 22, 2005.

Hm... Maybe the DNC should have been at the press conference organized on that same date by CONLAMIC with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in support of Judge John Roberts' bid to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States?

Unless the Democrats lose their fear of confronting fundamentalist religious pimping, be it Latino or not, they look just as cynical as they say Ken Mehlman's statements are.

As for Roberts, minutes ago he was confirmed as the 17th Supreme Court Chief Justice, to CONLAMIC's delight, and the DNC's dismay (they had opposed the nomination as well).

In some ways, while CONLAMIC stuck to their principles and won, the DNC and the Democratic party continue to split strategies and lose even when the current government has the lowest approval numbers of any administration in recent memory.

Forcing homophobic black preachers out of the closet

Is T.D. Jakes gay? For that matter, is Eddie Long? If you are not African- American, President Bush or Karl Rove's religious right minions, chances are that you probably won't recognize these names. Both are among the most influential black preachers in the United States. Both also have ratcheded-up their homophobic rhethoric against gays and lesbians in their weekly services, using their pulpits to instill hate, as they increasingly bask in the embrace of the religious right of this country.

Lesbian and gay African-American leaders have taken notice and have attempted to draw links between the increased synergy between these ministers and the current government, their rise to power and the outright selling-out of their pulpits as a strategy to drive away minority votes from the Democrats (not that the Democrats are doing a great job sustaining them).

I have written about some of their counterparts in the Latino community (the Reverend Ruben Diaz, Sr. and Miguel Rivera of CONLAMIC), but now two of the most media-savy gay black leaders are saying enough is enough and taking it a step further.

In joint statements published in their respective blogs, Keith Boykin and Jasmyne Cannick, have announced that each will profile a separate black minister on their blogs for the next five days, leading to what they say will be "a special finale on Friday that you won't want to miss." They are also inviting readers to submit information that might confirm that specific homophobic black ministers might be gay and closeted. For more info go to:

• Jasmyne Cannick: Is Bishop Eddie Long Gay?
• Keith Boykin: Is T.D. Jakes Gay?

Watch right-wing webistes / blogs scream 'extremist gays' and 'invasion of privacy.' Watch us say, 'hypocrisy must be revealed when it hurts so many and when used for personal benefit' and 'It's about time!'

Howard Dean and the DNC miss the mark on CONLAMIC

Photo: CONLAMIC director Miguel Rivera outside the Bronx Court House on March 3, 2004, announcing a pro-Bush and anti-same-sex marriage rally, and some community activists rejecting CONLAMIC's hateful message.

Interesting news from DC: Today the Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a statement crediting the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC) for "the work they’ve done to promote immigration reform and fair treatment for undocumented immigrants" but also wishing to set them straight, as it were, or - in DNC parlance - telling them "the truth."

Apparently CONLAMIC hosted the Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Ken Mehlman today at a gathering in DC where he spoke about all the wonderful things that President Bush had done for Latinos in general including Latino immigrants (huh?).

To tell "the truth" though the DNC would do well to do some research, 'cause they ain't necessarily going to teach CONLAMIC anything they don't know:

• In 2003 CONLAMIC honored the oh-so-"immigrant friendly" Traditional Values Coalition leader Louis P. Sheldon (which, credit be given, was representative of a split in the conservative right's attitude towards immigration).
  
• In 2004, CONLAMIC bused in hundreds of people from Connecticut, Maine, New jersey, DC and Maryland to a pro-Bush, ant-gay marriage rally in the Bronx.
• The Reverend Ruben Diaz, Sr., a long-time anti-gay advocate and a New York State Senator, opened the doors wide for CONLAMIC and their hateful message to reach Latinos in New York City throught that same 2004 anti-gay marriage, pro-Bush rally.
  

If the DNC wanted to tell 'the truth' it would have called it out as it truly is: CONLAMIC is as complicit in shelling out for a morally bankrupt government as anyone and no amount of 'truth-telling' will convince CONLAMIC to drop the benefits they might get for being the calling-card for the most conservative of politicians who seek to hold their nose - while pretending they care about minorities.